Playbill

Playbill 2019

1. Suite Surrender

By Michael McKeever

Directed by George Benca

It’s 1942, and two of Hollywood’s biggest divas have descended upon the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel – assistants, luggage, and legendary feud with one another in tow. Everything seems to be in order for their wartime performance… that is, until they are somehow assigned to the same suite. Mistaken identities, overblown egos, double entendres, and a lap dog named Mr. Boodles round out this hilarious riot of a love note to the classic farces of the 30s and 40s.

2. Homegrown:

A Series of One Act Plays Written and Directed by Members of The Essendon Theatre Company

Over the course of 2018, a number of local writers have been workshopping and developing a series of original one act plays under the mentorship of Award Winning Playwright Michael Olsen. Our second season for the year will involve the performance of three (3) of these unique pieces in preparation for submission to the One Act Play Festivals.

3. Summer of the Aliens

By Louis Nowra

Directed by David Runnalls

The year is 1962 and the world is worrying about the Cuban missile crisis, except for Lewis, a youth on the cusp of manhood, growing up in a Melbourne housing commission suburb. He is preoccupied with flying saucers, much to the disgust of his friend Brian who can think only of losing his virginity.

The play centres on relationships, especially the relationship between 14 year old Lewis and 14 year old Dulcie. It is through Dulcie that Lewis begins to understand that the struggle to be adult is the struggle to understand the world around him.

Summer of the Aliens is a vivid and amusing evocation of a family and a neighbourhood whose increasingly strange behaviour Lewis is forced to interpret in the only way he can… the aliens must be among us!

4. Jack the Ripper: The Musical

Book and Lyrics By Ron Pember and Denis de MarneMusic By Ron Pember

Directed by Robert Harsley

The play is a musical reconstruction of incidents relating to the East End murders which took place between Friday, August 31stand Friday, November 9th, 1888, set in a Music Hall and the surrounding streets, as performed by the inhabitants of Whitechapel.